Echinacea -- Our Wintertime Friend

Hey Everyone,

For the past few months, we have been constantly hearing about the H1N1 virus and the flu. It has everyone in a panic and now people are lining up for this new vaccine. I realize that this is needed.. I too will be getting the shot as soon as it's available.

But I was thinking.. I haven't heard anyone talk about what can be done to strengthen our immune systems. Cold and flu viruses prey on weak immune systems. And although there are medicines to help get rid of these viruses, shouldn't we be trying to prevent getting them so there's no need for these medicines? For the next few posts, I'm going to concentrate on our immune systems... A Sweet Existence means living our best life... A Sweet Life.. And staying healthy is a part of this existence. So here we go...

Echinacea (shown in the picture above) is a genus of nine species of herbaceous plants in the family Asteraceae which are commonly called purple coneflowers. All are endemic to eastern and central North America, where they are found growing in moist to dry prairies and open wooded areas. It was widely used by the North American Plains Indians for its general medicinal qualities. Echinacea was one of the basic antimicrobial herbs of eclectic medicine from the mid 19th century through the early 20th century, and its use was documented for snakebite, anthrax, and for relief of pain. In the 1930s echinacea became popular in both Europe and America as a herbal medicine. According to Wallace Sampson, MD, its modern day use as a treatment for the common cold began when a Swiss herbal supplement maker was "erroneously told" that echinacea was used for cold prevention by Native American tribes who lived in the area of South Dakota.

A 2007 study by the University of Connecticut combined findings from 14 previously-reported trials examining Echinacea and concluded that Echinacea can cut the chances of catching a cold by more than half, and shorten the duration of a cold by an average of 1.4 days.

Echinacea can be found everywhere from WalMart to Whole Foods. So let's strengthen our immune systems and have a "Sweet" winter. You know what they say... An ounce of prevention..! Protect your body!

With Sweet Goodness,

Shermaine